Stuff Geeks Want

It’s been hailed as the top of the line golfing rangefinder that can actually and dramatically help shave points of your golf game. The Leica Pinmaster uses a laser to calculate distances on the golf course up to 820 yards.

While some might think such a device would slow down and hinder your game, it really doesn’t. You don’t stand on the course fumbling to get it to work. See the pin or other target (such as the front of the green), lock on, hit a button and you’ve got the distance through the viewfinder – often more accurate than the posted numbers on the course. You can also hold the button down and scan around to get distances of bunkers and anything you point it at instantly.

It offers a 7x magnification and a large field of view of 347 feet at a distance of 1,000 yards. The eye-piece features a dioptre adjustment, which enables the user to select the best setting for their eyesight, and is suitable for people who wear glasses. The LED display also automatically adjusts its brightness to suit the ambient lighting conditions of the day.

This is a dream product that does what it promises. Slightly expensive, it’s for the real addicted golfer.

Buy for $599 from Amazon

Commutes are getting rough and expensive. It’s time to look at a simpler form of transportation that improves your aerobic fitness. Here comes the Dahon Mu One. It’s been updated for 2009 and it’s Dahon’s most affordable fold away with an improved ride and comfort that even a standard bike rider will be impressed with.

What changed? Cleaner cable routing, better stem height and adjustment for folding, grease ports on hinges and better handle bar catches.

Dropping the brakes, gears, and cables, the Mu Uno weighs in at only 22 pounds. The hand brakes have been replaced with a rear coaster brake, so practice your skidding! The Mu Uno folds easily in 10 seconds. In its folded form, it is held together with magnets and can be carried effortlessly to fit under a desk or in a tight closet. Which means you don’t have to lug around chainage.

For maximum power and minimum add-ons, you can’t beat this bike.

Buy for $522 from Amazon

If you’re a serious runner, you know the pros and cons of the Nike+. The biggest problem with it is that you can’t monitor your performance in real time and adjust your speed and cadence on the road. The bottom line is that the Nike+ is great to evaluate your performance after a run.

So what the best device to help you while you’re on the road? Hands down it’s the Garmin Forerunner 405CX. The CX model is an upgrade to the 405 and honestly the only thing that’s changed is a firmware upgrade. Among it’s changes, it now calculates calories burned based on your heart rate instead of based on your distance (which the Nike+ does).

The 405CX weighs only 60 grams and lets you track speed, distance and location. It has this bezel based interface that lets you control it by tapping, holding or running a finger along the bezel (a lot like an iPod).

Once you’re home and cooled down, the 405CX uses ANT+ technology which sends workout data to a PC or Mac wirelessly so you don’t even need to take off the watch. And the 405CX offers a wealth of data. You can see current pace, average pace, total time, time left, distance left, heart rate zone, time of day, heart-rate, % or max heart rate, and many more.

Obsessed with running? This is the watch.

Buy for $370 from Amazon

Let’s face it, fitness is all in the numbers. How far you’ve run. How many calories you’ve shed. How many ounces of sweat you’ve sacrificed. Now you can track that information (minus the sweat) as the Garmin FR60 watch wirelessly collects data from compatible scales, treadmills and other gym equipment while you exercise.

The FR60 uses a low-power radio called ANT+, which uses less than power than Bluetooth, which will guarantee you replacing the battery only once a year.

It works like this: Go to a gym with equipment that shows the ANT+ logo. Workout. The watch starts grabbing info as soon as it’s within a foot of the transmitter. Shower (please) and go home. Put the FR60 near the ANT+ adapter plugged into your PC or Mac and it will automatically upload stats to the fitness software so you can analyze your workout.

Buy for $200 from Amazon

Nothing is worse than a ‘banana ball’ in the sand. The X-Force Swing Trainer from Callaway Golf is designed to develop the feel for the pendulum sensation of the golf swing. It’s two times heavier than a standard golf club, so swinging it on a regular basis when you are off the course can help you develop proper golf musculature and general muscle tone. The impact feature helps to simulate actual outdoor ball striking.

A golf pro I spoke with told me, “This thing is great if you’re struggling with timing and getting explosive impact off the ball. It forces you to really get your body through the ball and hit straight shots with authority.”

Buy for $65 from Amazon

I have owned a lot of specs, from prescription glasses to countless sunglasses, but I have to say without a doubt these lenses are by far the most comfortable shades I have ever owned and they look damn good. The Oakley Livestrong Flak Jacket XLJ Cycling Sunglasses are extremely light weight. You almost forget you’re wearing them.

Oakley lenses have exceptional clarity and contain features not found in other lenses. Their hydrophobic HDO lenses are much easier to clean versus other lenses. Also, the anti-static coating won’t attract dirt like regular lenses and the Iridium coating reduces glare.

Oakley donates a portion of every Livestrong glasses sold to the Lance Armstrong Foundation.

Buy for $150 from Amazon

Proving that it’s never too early to start thinking of the upcoming football season, Madden NFL 10 rolls out tomorrow, August 14th. (I’m daring anyone to lineup outside WalMart to buy this at midnight, although we all know there will be takers.)

So what’s different from previous iterations? The addition of Pro-Tak animation technology is probably the biggest. You’ll notice players move more naturally, footballs float in the air after a wayward pass and running backs stumble to gain additional yards. You’ll also see more fights for fumbles and better television-like shots such as coaches screaming on the sidelines after a botched play. Reality has been greatly improved.

As for multiplayer, this version adds Online Co-op so two players can team up at any position to tackle computer opponents and Online Franchise that allows up to 32 players to join a league through Xbox Live or PlayStation Network and run a team over a 10-season span.

BTW, don’t expect to see Michael Vick in this version until he signs with a team. He’s busy helping his local ASPCA.

Buy for $49 for Wii from Amazon

Buy for $55 for Xbox 3 from Amazon

Buy for $55 for PlayStation 3 from Amazon

Buy for $39 for PlayStation 2 from Amazon

Buy for $37 for Sony PSP from Amazon

If you do any sort of meaningful cycling, prudence suggests you carry a spare tube, portable pump, and multi-tool with you so that you can address any technical difficulties that might befall you on your ride.

You can cover two of those three bases with Blackburn’s AirFix, a mini CO2 inflator that features nine common tools built-in, including 3/4/5/6/8mm hex keys, a chain tool, and steel core tire lever.

Normally $40, BlueSkyCycling is currently selling the AirFix at almost 70% off. Stock up so you always have gifts on hand for your cycling buddies!

Buy for $12.98 from BlueSkyCycling

As in: “Worry less about your earphones falling out.”

Headphones and athletics usually don’t mix well. For practical reasons, you don’t want to spend much money since you know they’ll be exposed to less than calm conditions.

At the same time, you don’t want them to sound like crap and you certainly don’t want them falling out of your ears.

Sennheiser’s MX 75 Sport Headphones fit the bill perfectly: excellent audio and build quality from the legendary German manufacturer, first-rate fit, and an affordable price.

Unlike other sport earphones, the MX 75′s feature a unique design that forgoes the traditional ear-clips or over/around-the-head designs. They stay in place with a combination of friction and clever design, regardless of the shape of your ears.

Like other models in Sennheiser’s Sport line, they’re also virtually impervious to sweat. I know nothing irritates me more than a drop of sweat working its way into an earphone and muffling out the bass for the remainder of the work-out. In fact, I can even forgive Sennheiser’s unusual color selection for the Sport line since they flat-out rock.

And the best part?

The MX 75 Sport headphones retail for $50 but can be found at Amazon for just $29.99 with free shipping.

(If you like the Twist-to-Fit idea and don’t need the Sport features or gnarly green color, go for the Street model for just $19.99.)

If you do any amount of mountain biking, even if it’s just on the road or smooth paths, you know comfort is paramount to keeping you on your ride.

For that reason alone, companies have invested millions of dollars researching more comfortable and ergonomic saddles, but until recently little time had been spent looking into the other major pressure point on a bike: your hands.

Many mountain bikers have experienced their hands going numb at some point or another. While a more upright riding position (courtesy of a riser handlebar) can help alleviate this by reducing the weight on your hands, the real solution is to distribute the pressure more evenly across all of your hand.

Ergon’s line of mountain bike grips accomplish just that, courtesy of their wider profile that provides a considerably more ergonomic position. The result is a grip that supports virtually all your hand, rather than the 60% or so most grips offer.

The benefits list is short but substantial:

• greater comfort
• reduced pressure on the ulna nerve (no more numbness)
• reduced pressure on the median nerve (a cause of carpel tunnel)

Ergon offers a variety of different grips targeted at different segments of the market, from the more casual rider to the pro racer, with or without integrated barends. The biggest differences between the models are styling and weight—they all deliver similar ergonomic benefits.

Prices range from as little as $25 to over $100 for grips composed of more exotic materials, like carbon fiber. Availability is tight on most of the models, and no single reseller seems to offer every version, but we like Blue Sky Cycling and JensonUSA.